Photo: Stefan Baldauf/SB-Medien
Ever since the seventh generation was still around, the Corvette was expected to embrace electrification. It all started in 2015 with a trademark with the USPTO for E-RAY, stylized in capital letters like a boomer uses to comment on social media.
Fast-forward to 2020, and Chevrolet has re-trademarked E-RAY for “vehicles; apparatus for locomotion by land, air, or water.” At the time of reporting, the application has been accepted by the office but has yet to been assigned to an examiner. In addition to the golden bowtie, a company called J&R Electrical owns the rights to utilize the caps-locked wordmark since 2004 according to the USPTO.
As the headline implies, E-RAY is a combination between electric and Stingray. Don’t, however, expect an EV because a hybrid has been indirectly confirmed by the owner’s manual for the 2020 model year Corvette. As yours truly reported back in March, the diagram for the fuse and relays box includes a “lithium-ion battery module” and a “pedestrian friendly alery function,” a.k.a. “power sounder module.”
In essence, Chevrolet plans two electrified C8s. The E-RAY may be the indirect replacement for the seventh-generation Grand Sport while the Zora is rumored as a hybrid and – less likely – with plug-in hybrid assistance. Going PHEV may bring the curb weight to two tons or thereabouts, leading us to believe that a hybrid system is what Chevrolet will offer in addition to a twin-turbocharged FPC engine.
Turning our attention back to the E-RAY, word has it the lithium-ion battery will be good for 2 kWh, which is more than double the capacity of the front-wheel-drive Toyota Prius. All-wheel-drive models level up to 1.2 kWh and NiMH chemistry. Speaking of which, let’s speculate a little bit about the electric motor’s location.
It’s widely believed that Chevrolet will integrate the e-motor of the E-RAY into the front axle, translating to electric all-wheel drive. Quite a few other automakers prefer to sandwich the electric drive unit into the transmission. Ford comes to mind with the PowerBoost version of the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 powerplant.
Whatever the future holds for the C8 Corvette E-RAY, make no mistake it’ll be worth the wait.
As the headline implies, E-RAY is a combination between electric and Stingray. Don’t, however, expect an EV because a hybrid has been indirectly confirmed by the owner’s manual for the 2020 model year Corvette. As yours truly reported back in March, the diagram for the fuse and relays box includes a “lithium-ion battery module” and a “pedestrian friendly alery function,” a.k.a. “power sounder module.”
In essence, Chevrolet plans two electrified C8s. The E-RAY may be the indirect replacement for the seventh-generation Grand Sport while the Zora is rumored as a hybrid and – less likely – with plug-in hybrid assistance. Going PHEV may bring the curb weight to two tons or thereabouts, leading us to believe that a hybrid system is what Chevrolet will offer in addition to a twin-turbocharged FPC engine.
Turning our attention back to the E-RAY, word has it the lithium-ion battery will be good for 2 kWh, which is more than double the capacity of the front-wheel-drive Toyota Prius. All-wheel-drive models level up to 1.2 kWh and NiMH chemistry. Speaking of which, let’s speculate a little bit about the electric motor’s location.
It’s widely believed that Chevrolet will integrate the e-motor of the E-RAY into the front axle, translating to electric all-wheel drive. Quite a few other automakers prefer to sandwich the electric drive unit into the transmission. Ford comes to mind with the PowerBoost version of the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 powerplant.
Whatever the future holds for the C8 Corvette E-RAY, make no mistake it’ll be worth the wait.
Google News